Which to use
“Schlamm” and “Schleim” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,229
- “Schlamm” frequency rank
- #24,113
- “Schleim” frequency rank
- 37342
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Schlamm | Schleim |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | mit Wasser vermischte Erde, Morast | zähflüssige, klebrige Masse, gebildet von Drüsen bei Mensch, Tier und Pflanze |
Where the eye mixes Schlamm and Schleim
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Schlamm (CCCCVCC) and Schleim (CCCCVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between Schlamm and Schleim
A purely visual mix-up. Schlamm ([ʃlam]) and Schleim ([ʃlaɪ̯m]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37342, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Schlamm is recorded at frequency rank #13,229, classified as anoun, pronounced [ʃlam]. Schleim is at rank #24,113, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʃlaɪ̯m].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 37342, this pair ranks #1,592,740 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Schlamm vs Schleim
Shared letters: chlms. Private to "Schlamm": a. Private to "Schleim": ei.
"Schlamm" · 7 letters · shape CCCCVCC · "Schleim" · 7 letters · shape CCCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Schlamm" for "Schleim" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "Schlamm" or "Schleim" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Schlamm" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Schleim" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,592,740 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Schlamm" and "Schleim" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "schleift vs Schleim". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,592,740 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.